If you ever heard that nursery rhyme “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite,” you know these critters bite in the night. But most of us never heard of them in real life until now.

Some fast facts…

•              Life Stages: Eggs hatch into nymphs. Newly hatched nymphs are tiny—about 1/16th of an inch.

•              Nymphs—which look like small adults—become adults in 5 weeks. They go through 5 molts to reach adult size—meaning they shed their old, smaller skin 5 times. They must feed before each molt.

•              Females can produce 5-7 eggs per week, laying up to 500 in a lifetime.

•              Bed bugs grow fastest and lay most eggs at about 80°F.

•              They feed only on blood.

•              They feed when people are sleeping or sitting quietly, often when it’s dark.

•              They seek shelter in cracks and crevices when not feeding.

•              They poop out “blood spots.” Spots look like dots made by a fine felt-tipped marker. You’d see them … Read Full Post »